Riverside Center: Bringing Luxury Living Further North

Posted on Tue, 2011-09-27 12:39

As a result of the trendiness and subsequent building boom on the West Side of Manhattan, neighborhoods such as Chelsea, the Meatpacking District, Clinton, and Midtown West have more than their fair share of new construction and luxury development. At the same time, however, the Upper West Side is certainly gaining on its Hudson River-bounded neighbors to the south, in particular with Extell’s Riverside Center, the southernmost point of the Trump megaproject known as Riverside South, whose new construction will bring contemporary condominiums in New York City to a new level.

Well, what is Riverside Center? As mentioned before, it is the southernmost section of the Riverside South development, a high-density, mixed-use cluster of buildings stretching from 59th to 72nd Streets west of West End Avenue. Riverside Center occupies the area between 59th and 61st Street, turning a once-industrial and oft-neglected section of the island into an extension of the creative Upper West Side with the feel of the modern Midtown West to the south. Unlike the rest of Riverside South, which has been developed and is now managed by the Trump Corporation, Riverside Center is a product of Extell, a developer also connected to Carnegie 57, which will be the tallest residential skyscraper in New York City upon its completion, and the Orion, a luxury condominium in Midtown West.

The master plan for Riverside Center is focused around five skyscrapers, such as the condos at 10 West End Avenue directly to the east, while recreating a broken street grid to ease pedestrian and vehicular movement throughout the neighborhood, all while giving residents a rare and exciting amenity: a new school. With a total of around 2,500 units for rent and sale, residents will also have access to stunning views similar to those from nearby luxury condominiums like the Element. In turn, this development will coincide with placing the West Side Highway at surface level, similar to the portion of the road in Downtown Manhattan, while a central park will act a as gathering space for residents and visitors alike.

Upon its completion, Riverside Center will link Riverside South and the Upper West to the north with Midtown West to the south, two almost diametrically opposed areas of the varied and diverse island we call Manhattan. Increased construction will give more potential residents access to luxury living like those already living in The Rushmore and The Avery just up Riverside Boulevard. Finally, the mixed-use element of Riverside Center cannot be overlooked, as only good can come from more commercial and retail options for those who choose to be pioneers at Riverside Center.